Portioning-machine.



HENRY a. crans, or NoeANnLEss remitente, ALLEGHENY coUN'rY, PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNon or ONE-HALF 'rogfnnianna'r ur. nenoN, orrrmrsnnnen, PENNSYL- VANIA.

Specification of .Lettera Patent.

ron'rroNrNe-MACNINN.

rarement sept. a, raie.

Applaaapn mea August t, une. serial No. Aasoz.

l l To all rwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. GILEs, -a

i citizen ofthe United States, and residing in have invented or discoveredn'w and useful llmprovements in Portioning-Machines, of

l"which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a newand improved machine for dispensing uniform portions of substances, such, for instance, as individual butter portions.

ln restaurants and hotels great quantities of butter and similar substances are used, and the method of dispensing the same generally adopted is to cut or form the same into blocks or disks which are kept on ice until needed, andare then lifted with a fork and put on the individual butter plate. This requires morethan one handling and is eX- pensive and unsanitary.

My object is to provide a machine in which the butter or other product may be stored, and if desired, refrigerated, and from which a uniformly sized portion will be discharged by pressing a `convenient stem orv member. The individual butter plate may be placed beneathn the machinev to receive the discharged portion without handling.

ln the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment oftheprinciples of my invention, Figure l is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 isa vertical section of the same along the line lll-II in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine with the lid removed, and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the machine.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

A is a box preferably cast ofmetal in rectangular shape and having an open upper end which is provided With a lid B. The box A is preferably elevated on integral legs 1. The bottom of the box is provided with a central rectangular elevation forming a slideway C running from front to rear and having under cut sides 2 forming tracks.

D is an inner box mounted on the slideway C, and preferably integral therewith. Said box D extends upwardly within the outer box A to substantially the top of the latter and has an open bottom through the slideway C. Said inner box has straight inner Walls and it is shownas rectangular in horizontal section, but such shape may be changed, if desired. In the slideway C is mounted a sliding frame E Whose edges travel in the tracks 2. 4 is a spacing blade mounted on said frame below the level of the open bottom of the inner box D and 5 is a slicing blade mounted on said frame in advance of the spacing blade 4 and snugly up against the top of the slideway C. rlhe rear end of the slideway C may be closed by a late 6. Y I

is a plate loosely swung on the stemA 8, protruding from the front of the frame E, and adapted to interlock with the reversely placed hooks 9 on the front of the box A, so that by swingingsaid plate 7 horizontally to engage said hooks, said frame may be held in the machine, but by swinging said plate into a vertical position, said frame may be drawn from the machine. A spring lever l0 mounted on the bottom of the box A bears against the rear end of the frame E and resiliently holds said frame in the advanced position shown in Fig. 4 with the spacing blade 4 under the inner box D.

The butter or other product is molded or formed in the shape of a bar to fit the cross section of the .inner box and inserted therein, its lower end protruding from the inner box and resting on the spacing blade 4f To sever a portion of butter, the frame E is pushed rearwardly by pressure on its stem 8, retreating the spacing blade from beneath the vbar of butter and forcing the slicing i blade through the protruding end of said bar, thus severing a uniform portion which drops down of itself, into an individual butter dish F placed under the box A. When vthe stem 8 is released, the frame E ies forward again and restores the spacing blade 4- under the bar of butter which slides down torest thereon.

lltA is evident that a uniform portion will be dispensed every time the stem 8 is pressed inwardly until the bar of butter is exhausted, when a new bar may be inserted. rlhe interior of the box A about the inner box D may be filled with ice or other chilling or' `thorough cleansing at frequent intervals, and its construction is simple, durable and inexpensive l W hat I desire to claim is In a product dispensing machine, an outer box having a closed bottom and an inner box having an openbottom, a slideway be through which the latter slides, hooks arranged on the outer box and adapted to coact with the movable moans, said means adapted when in'one position to retain the fra-me in the slideway and when in another position to permit the frame to be released `from the slideway, and spring return means associated with the rearedge of the reciprocable frame and adapted to force the said frame out ,of said slideway when the movable means is withdrawn from the hooks.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Penna., this 29th day of July, 1915.

HENRY G. GILES. 

